Sold-out show raises over $900,000 for research
and education outreach

Conductor Thomas Wilkins with the San Diego Symphony

What better way to savor a San Diego
summer night? On the evening of August 25,
the audience that gathered at the Salk
Institute would have answered that question
with a unanimous response—Symphony at
Salk: a Concert Under the Stars.

LeAnn Rimes

For 17 summers now, the annual fundraiser
has brought scores of music lovers
and science supporters to the Institute for
an unforgettable evening. Guests began this
year's event sipping champagne at an outdoor
reception on the magnificent Salk courtyard,
followed by a gourmet dinner specially
prepared by award-winning chef Jeffrey
Strauss, owner of the critically acclaimed
Pamplemousse Grille.

As the sun set over the ocean-view terrace,
the San Diego Symphony took the stage,
once again led by special guest conductor
Thomas Wilkins, who with one wave of his
baton began an extraordinary show . The
musicians played a rousing set of countryinspired
classics to set the mood for the
concert's much-anticipated headliner,
award-winning singer LeAnn Rimes. From
the moment Rimes walked on stage until
the last note of the night, she held the rapt
attention of the crowd as she performed
a selection of her hits, including "Can't
Fight the Moonlight" and "How Do I Live."
Rimes brought the evening to a close with an
incomparable rendition of "Amazing Grace."

More than 700 people attended the
sold-out gala, which raised over $900,000
to benefit Salk scientific research and
educational outreach programs.